Felix woke up in an unfamiliar bed, but he relaxed the moment he noticed how he was practically surrounded by Wooyoung's scent, the pirate's arms wound tightly around his waist and encasing the wolfman in his warmth. Felix let out a shuddering breath, turning around so he could nuzzle his True Mate's chest. A purr-like noise escaped him when he felt a hand gently petting his ears, and a chuckle rumbled in Wooyoung's chest.

"Someone's feeling cuddly."

"I've missed you," simply replied Felix.

"I've missed you too, love. How do you feel?"

"Better." Talking helped Felix wake up a bit, and he finally remembered how he'd unceremoniously passed out before. "What happened? Did we leave?"

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

"We left the Capital's port five days ago. You regained consciousness shortly after our departure, but you were probably driven too delirious by your heat to notice."

At the mention of his heat, Felix paled and immediately pulled at Wooyoung's shirt. A strange mix of relief and hurt filled his heart when he noticed the clear lack of a marking bite on the man's neck. Seemingly reading his mind, Wooyoung chuckled again and pulled his hand up so he could kiss his palm.

"I wanted you to mark me," he assured softly. "Your packmates explained everything to me, I know what becoming your mate entails, and I'd love nothing more than for you to claim me as yours – but in a bout of lucidity, you refused, saying we needed to properly talk things out first."

"Oh..."

"After that, Yeosang gave you something to keep you under for the duration of your heat. You've woken up a few times in the past few days, but this morning is the first one that you've been awake for more than a minute, so I think it's over now."

"I think so too," nodded Felix, sniffing the scent gland on his wrist. "My scent's back to normal, at the very least. Have you been here this whole time?"

"Mmm. They'd have had to tie me to the mast to keep me from your side – and something tells me that pretty suitor of yours wouldn't have had any qualms doing it, trust me on that."

"Suitor?" repeated Felix, a tad confused.

"Hyunjin."

Felix grimaced a bit. "He's not..."

He wasn't Felix's suitor. Or at least, not anymore. Though he'd courted Felix for a while, the freckled boy had ultimately rejected him, unable to share his romantic feelings. It had definitely driven a wedge between the two of them, who used to be so close, and it had led to many quarrels – one of which was the reason why Felix had run out of home so carelessly all those months ago, and how he'd ended up getting kidnapped.

"He loves you," whispered softly Wooyoung.

"And I love you. What lies between Hyunjin and I is nothing more than a childhood romance I grew out of much quicker than he did. I do not doubt his feelings for me are genuine, but he and I are not meant to be mates, and he'll understand that, one day."

"Because..." Wooyoung gulped. "Because we are True Mates?"

Felix stiffened, then relaxed. "Who told you?"

"Jeongin."

"... ah."

Against all odds, Wooyoung didn't appear upset. In fact, he pulled the freckled boy closer, gently kissing his forehead, and Felix immediately melted into the display of affection, snuggling closer to the pirate.

"I understand why you didn't tell me anything," Wooyoung assured softly. "But now I know, and it only ascertains what I already knew: I want to live out the rest of my days by your side, Felix, and be it on land or at sea, I'll be happy so long as I get to hold you in my arms every single day."

"I don't want to take you away from your family—"

"They can come visit."

"You love your life at sea—"

"I'll love a life with you even more."

"Woo..."

Staring into Wooyoung's eyes, Felix felt a few tears roll down his cheeks as he saw sheer determination and pure, unadulterated love staring right back at him. Wooyoung had obviously come to terms with his decision long ago.

"I love you, Felix," whispered Wooyoung, gently stroking his cheek.

The wolfman could only smile at that, finally feeling complete upon hearing this declaration he'd been craving for months, now.

"I love you too, Wooyoung."

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"—and may the Moon Goddess's blessings follow you in this life, and into all of those it precedes. I hereby pronounce you partners for all joys and sorrows to come, with the stars, the Moon, and the packs as witnesses of this union." There was a pregnant pause, before Minho grinned. "And, as humans say: you may now kiss your husband."

Thunderous applause, howling, and cheering exploded all around as Wooyoung cradled Felix's face to pull him into a searing, dizzying kiss. The moment he pulled away, Felix surged forward and locked their lips together again, unwilling to let his newly betrothed part from him so quickly.

Minho suddenly pushed them forward, in direction of the gathered crowd, laughing when the pair stumbled a bit and urging them to join the beginning festivities before promptly taking off to find his own mate. Holding hands, Wooyoung and Felix exchanged a smile as music soon filled the air.

Since wolfmen mating was a private process, they got married in a fashion similar to humans so friends and families could get a chance to celebrate the union as well. As such, weddings took place close to midnight, during full moons, and the festivities lasted well into the early hours of the morning.

They'd only arrived at Fang Vale a mere two weeks before today, but neither Felix or Wooyoung wanted to waste any time, and they didn't want to keep the pirates for too long, aware of how restless they could get by staying on land for too long. So, the wedding ceremony had been quickly thrown together – though these events weren't all that complicated in the first place, since wolfmen liked to keep things simple. 

They would dance, and they would eat, and they would drink – they would laugh and talk with all the guests, have the time of their life and, ultimately, the newly wedded would retire to their home where they would officially mate in peace and quiet.

They still had a long night to go before then, however.

"Come here, you!"

"Hey!"

Felix could only laugh as Wooyoung was unceremoniously dragged in the middle of the dancing crowd by San and Mingi, the pair wearing matching, mischievous smirks. The freckled boy was quickly swept off his own feet by none other than Jisung, though.

The rest of the night was a bit of a blur, Felix switching dance partners left and right. He danced with every single one of his packmates, along with all of his crewmates, until he ended up in Chan's awaiting arms. His brother grinned, spinning him a bit, and Felix couldn't help but laugh again.

"What's that sappy look for?" he asked when meeting Chan's eyes again.

"I still can't believe you're now married," Chan admitted, smiling softly. "So much has happened in the last year... I'm just having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that my sweet baby brother has found a new home, is all."

"Just because I've found a new home doesn't mean I'll forget my first one," replied gently Felix, smiling back. "And you'll always be my brother, meaning I'll always find my way back to you. I won't leave you behind, Chris."

"Neither will we. You will always be pack, no matter the distance between us." Chan then shook his head. "But no more of those talks for the moment. You'll still be around for a while, we can keep our farewells for later. There is no point in shedding tears on such a wondrous night, is there?"

There was a scoff to their right, from Changbin. "Says the guy who burst into tears when he watched them say their vows to each other."

"Yah!"

Felix laughed again as he spun out of his brother's arms, Chan walking off to teach Changbin a lesson while the freckled boy kept on dancing, soon finding himself a new partner. He was quite surprised to see Hongjoong, but he smiled, nonetheless.

"Captain! Enjoying the party?" he greeted gleefully.

"Quite! We'll have to look into purchasing some of your wine – it's not a strong as what we're used to, but it's certainly tasty!" laughed the Captain as they spun together. "It'll definitely keep us in good spirit for our next travel."

"Captain..." Felix bit his lower lip, lowering his eyes at that. "I don't think I ever properly apologized, for all the trouble I've caused. Because of me, you've lost the Twilight—"

"We've already mourned her loss, Felix – there is no point in dwelling on a grief we've long since grown to accept," cut gently the Captain. "Plus, there's no denying she was starting to grow old and weary from our journeys, anyway – she probably only had one more travel left in her before we'd had to leave her to shore."

"What will you do now, then?" asked curiously the freckled boy.

"Your brother has generously agreed to give us one of your caravels. We'll use it to reach another island, where the best shipwrights in the world reside. We'll trade the caravel there, and have a new ship made with the money earned."

"What will you name it?"

Hongjoong merely grinned again. "You'll find out once you return aboard, won't you?"

Before Felix could protest, the pirate made him spin to exchange partners and, next thing Felix knew, a familiar scent hit him as two callused hands gently came to hold his. He looked up, finding Hyunjin already staring down at him. There was a distinct pain in his eyes that made Felix's heart ache, but also... acceptance.

"Hyunjin..."

"I'm happy for you," assured quietly Hyunjin. "I wish I could have been the one capable of making you smile so brightly... but I'm glad you've found better than me."

"He's not better than you," protested Felix. "He's different, and he's... he's my True Mate, Hyunjin. I love you dearly, I truly do, but simply not in the sense you wish for."

"I know. It pains me to admit it, because what could have been haunts me every night, because my feelings for you have not lessened in the least even though you've literally found the missing piece of your soul." Hyunjin let out a shaky breath. "I am happy for you, because you deserve to be loved and this human... Wooyoung, is obviously willing to cherish you 'til the end of his days. He loves you just as much as you love him, if not more, and that's all I could ever wish for you, Felix."

Though his words were kind, they held an undertone of farewells Felix couldn't quite grasp, and it made him feel like crying. Averting his eyes from Hyunjin's, he only then noticed what the older was wearing – not a nice outfit like all of the other guests, but sturdy clothes made to withstand any sort of weather.

"... you're leaving," he breathed out.

"I am."

"Why?"

"Because though I am happy for you, I'm still in so much pain when I think of you loving another, it feels like someone's ripping my heart straight out of my chest every single time," whispered brokenly the older. He smiled again, but it was strained, and there were tears brimming his eyes. "I need to let go, Felix. I need to let you go. And I believe... I believe leaving is my chance at doing just that."

"But where will you go?"

"I don't know, yet. For months, I was driven by guilt to try and find you. I couldn't focus on anything else, even though I'd never breached Fang Vale's borders before." He lifted his eyes to the sky, his gaze reflecting all of the stars twinkling above them. "I want to leave again. Go out there, travel. Learn, grow. Become someone... someone worthy of being called your friend, and your packmate."

"Hyunjin—"

"I do not wish to lose you, Felix. But for this to work, I need to let go first."

Felix exhaled shakily, nodding in understanding. It pained him, to know one of his precious people was being driven from his own home because of him, but he also knew Hyunjin was his own person capable of making his own decisions. If he thought traveling for a while was what was best for him, then Felix would support him.

"Then, will you make me a promise?"

"Anything."

Felix smiled a bit, gently stroking the older's cheek. "Come back in time to see me off. In a year from now, come back home so we can say goodbye properly, this time around."

Hyunjin smiled back at that, his eyes crinkling a bit. "I promise."

Felix closed his eyes as Hyunjin leaned closer, pressing a feather-light kiss to his forehead before pulling away. Felix opened his eyes just in time to catch glimpse of a tear rolling down Hyunjin's cheek before the older turned his back to him and, without another look back, he began walking away.

Felix watched as Hyunjin slowly vanished into the night, frozen in place until two familiar arms wrapped themselves around his waist.

"Are you alright?"

Felix sighed, leaning into Wooyoung's chest. "I will be. Dance with me?"

Wooyoung grinned, hooking their arms together so he could drag Felix closer to rest of the dancers. The freckled boy shot only last look at the forest that had swallowed Hyunjin before reporting his attention to his mate, smiling when his eyes met Wooyoung's. Though it pained him to say goodbye, he trusted Hyunjin to keep his word. So, letting go of all grief and worries, Felix promptly let his betrothed sweep him away into another dance that soon made him laugh and smile all over again.

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One year later

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"Come on, come on, come on!"

"Slow down, Woo! You're going to break down a stall again!"

Haven's Port was exactly as the pair remembered it to be, lively and filled with all sorts of people. And, since the Dominion was no longer after Felix, the freckled boy could finally look around to his heart's content. However, his mate was impatient to find their crewmates, and Felix couldn't really blame him – it had been a whole year since they last saw them, after all.

Following their mating on the night of their wedding, Wooyoung had undergone a complete change of biology. Gaining divine ascendance from mating with Felix, Wooyoung turned into a full-blooded wolfman, and he spent over six months learning how to live with his new abilities and his new physiology before finally presenting as an alpha – and then it was a whole new world of learning all over again things specific to his classification, such as ruts, for example.

It was a tiring process, but Wooyoung never regretted it. Even if he was exhausted at the end of every single day, falling asleep in Felix's arms and waking up the next day holding his precious mate made it all worth it. However, with the year of "probation" finally coming to an end, there was no denying Wooyoung had grown incredibly restless.

The sea was calling to him, and it was time to go back, now.

Felix had bidden goodbye to his brother and the rest of his pack. He, too, was more than eager to finally return to the life at sea and, though he knew he'd miss his first home eventually, he also knew life on land simply wasn't for him anymore. Nothing could replace the intense freedom he'd felt when he first began traveling with the pirate crew and, most importantly, wherever his mate went, he'd follow.

Hence why the pair was back in Haven's Port, at last. They'd kept in touch with the crew via a few letters and, in the last one, Seonghwa had informed them that they would be there for a week. Excited, Felix and Wooyoung had excitedly packed up their belongings, bidden farewell to everyone, and then promptly left Fang Vale.

"SAN!!!"

"Wait, Wooyoung!"

A few startled screams echoed from further down the street as Wooyoung quite literally pounced, forcing the crowd to part ways. Felix refrained the urge to facepalm and quickly followed. When he finally reached his mate, he found him happily nuzzling none other than San's neck, though the older was trying to push him off.

"Woo, you're making a scene," groaned Felix, pulling him off their crewmate.

"You jerk! You scared the hell out of me!" huffed San.

Wooyoung simply grinned, unapologetic. "I missed you, dumbass."

San grinned back. "Missed you too. And let me say, the puppy look suits you."

"Puppy? I'm a wolf, you prick!"

"Still gonna fetch me a stick if I throw it!"

With a playful growl, Wooyoung pounced on his friend again, tackling him to the floor once more. The two began playfully wrestling in the dirt, much to Felix's fondness and exasperation. A familiar scent suddenly reached him, and an arm was suddenly swung around his shoulders.

"Hasn't changed much, has he?"

Felix grinned, looking up at Hongjoong, who'd just arrived beside him. "Neither have you. Well, saved for some grey heir over there."

The Captain immediately pulled him into a chokehold, roughly rubbing his head with his fist, while Felix burst out laughing.

Truly, nothing had changed.

.

"And... welcome! To your new home!"

Felix and Wooyoung let out matching gasps as they took in the sight of the crew's brand-new ship. It was much bigger than the Twilight and, in bold golden letters, its name was written on the hull.

"The Symphony, uh?" smiled Felix, gripping Wooyoung's hand. "It sure has a nice ring to it. Who chose it?"

"Seonghwa," answered the rest of their crewmates as one.

"It was that or some weird name the Captain came up with," snorted Yeosang. "Adreez or some shit like that."

"Ateez," huffed Hongjoong, rolling his eyes. "I just figured it sounded cool."

Jongho smirked. "It sounds like you made it up while drunk thrice over – oh, wait."

"Yah!"

Felix chuckled as Jongho promptly ran off to escape the Captain's fist. It was nice to see that, though a year had passed, falling into their old dynamics felt as right as rain. He'd feared they'd have a hard time fitting in again, but everything just felt... like coming home, after a long journey. Refreshing. Invigorating. Soothing.

They climbed aboard, and Yunho and Yeosang happily led them on a small tour. Since the ship was bigger, everyone was split into rooms of two, meaning Wooyoung and Felix would be able to have their own space aboard. They barely had the time to drop their things off, though, before all of the crew was suddenly called back on the upper deck.

"Alright, we've dawdled enough around here!" exclaimed Hongjoong once he saw everyone had answered his call. "The crew's all back together, so it's time to set sail! Let's move, I want to be out of these waters before sundown!"

"YES, CAPTAIN!!!"

Not wasting any time, Felix promptly began climbing the rat lines, a grin stretching his lips as he felt the sea breeze freeing his hair from underneath his bandana. He inhaled deeply as he reached the yardarm and swung a leg over it so he could start tying the sail, Wooyoung doing the exact same thing on the other end.

The sails unfurled, the wind blew, and the ship began moving. Felix let his eyes wander over the decks below as the Symphony slowly began leaving shore, and that's when his eyes met Hyunjin's, his packmate sitting on the roof of a nearby building. They exchanged a smile, Hyunjin waving at him, and appearing... at peace, for the first time in a long time.

Satisfied, Felix waved him goodbye before rising to his feet and reporting his eager gaze to the horizon ahead of them. With his heart swelling in tandem with the sails, Felix couldn't help but let out a cheerful, freeing howl that echoed for miles around.

A new journey had just begun.

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Alright, so... that's it!

Even though this story wasn't as popular as my other ones, I sincerely appreciate everyone who's stuck around for it. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

PS. I will be taking a break next week but, on Friday 8, I will be posting a new story! Please look forward to it!